


Bleed Meridian

by NorthernGhost



Series: The NoGho DLC Files [4]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Shifting perspectives, night out on the town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthernGhost/pseuds/NorthernGhost
Summary: Talanah promised Aloy a night out on Meridian after dragging her to a a "celebration" she had no interest in attending. Exactly which redhead she ends up dragging into the streets of Meridian, however, is a different story.
Relationships: Aloy & Elisabet Sobeck, Aloy/Talanah Khane Padish, Elisabet Sobeck/Talanah Khane Padish
Series: The NoGho DLC Files [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668388
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Bleed Meridian

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another story set somewhere between [Living Systems](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1218735) and [The Devil Lies in the West](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593841), albeit closer to the former.
> 
> Yet again, if you've read my series, you may enjoy a bit of an additional perspective on this story, but even if you don't... hopefully you can still enjoy it and get some warm and fuzzy feelings from it.
> 
> Also, if you've read my fics _Duality_ and _Binary_ , you should definitely have an idea what's up with the-- _shift_ \--in the middle.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy my half-inebriated idea!
> 
> (Apologies for any grammatical errors/typos)
> 
> P.S. Because I'm forever a pop-punk kid, if you get the title reference, I will virtually high-five you and offer digi-pizza.

The large Carja parties, which they disguised by calling them “celebrations” or “commencements”, that seemed to come with each somewhat important milestone within the year weren’t exactly Aloy’s taste for having fun, but she had found that their wine most definitely was. The redhead swirled the dark red liquor in her third or fourth goblet recklessly, leaning her back against the railing at the edge of the balcony outside the semi-open hall within the palace where she had been obliged to show her face due to her— _ties_ —to the Minister of Education, and as an important member of Avad’s council, herself.  


To her displeasure, Talanah had been forced to mingle with the nobles and other members of high society in attendance, leaving her on her own for far longer than she preferred when she was also not, strictly speaking, allowed to leave. The raven-haired Carja had promised that she would make it up to her by taking her out on city afterward, but Aloy had not expected that she would have had so much to drink in such a short period of time, already.  


As she blinked, the world swam before her for a moment, prompting her to shake her head quickly, bowing it until her chin touched her chest and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she found another figure leaning against the railing beside her, arms folded over her chest.  


“I hated this kind of shit, too.”  


Aloy sighed, once again, taking another sip from her wine as the image of Elisabet beside her smirked.  


“Slow down, kiddo.”  


“What else am I supposed to do?”  


“You’re going to make yourself sick.”  


Aloy repeated the phrase in a mocking tone before swallowing the rest of her goblet in one go.  


“Well, don’t blame me when you’re bent over this railing later, vomiting it all back up.”  


“I’ll deal,” the younger redhead mumbled, twirling the now empty glass in her fingers for a moment as she continued to scan the crowd of people she was able to see from outside the broad, stone archways, but she wasn’t able to distinguish the particular head of dark hair she was looking for from the others that moved about the party. “How come we only ever seem to talk when I’m asleep or I’ve been drinking?”  


“Well, because first of all, I thought it’d be rude to intrude on your everyday life,” Elisabet said, smirking as Aloy glanced over at her, “but maybe because the walls are thinner then.”  


The younger redhead laughed, shaking her head.  


“Or maybe because then it’s harder for you to tell if it’s really me or just imaginary,” Elisabet teased, leaning in toward her and tilting her head to one side.  


“Am I really that drunk already?” Aloy muttered, glancing down at her goblet, again.  


“No, probably not,” Elisabet laughed, patting her on the shoulder, the younger redhead long since used to the feeling of the physical touch, even when her mind told her it shouldn’t be there.  


A moment later, a crowd of people stepped in front of one of the archways, and her posture perked up slightly when she finally spotted the familiar face she had been searching for thus far. Talanah was walking backward, talking to an older couple of a man and a woman in white Carja silks accented with typically bright colors, like so many other Carja nobles. The raven-haired Carja was laughing visibly as she walked, skipping her step a moment later when she almost ran into someone, prompting the younger redhead to grin and shake her head.  


“There you go,” Elisabet laughed softly. “You perked right up.”  


“Well… sure,” Aloy mumbled, bowing her head slightly as she felt her cheeks growing hot.  


“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing,” the older redhead teased.  


“No, you would know…”  


Silence fell over them for a moment or two before Elisabet cleared her throat.  


“What do you mean?”  


“You know… you… her… first…” Aloy mumbled, shifting her position uncomfortably.  


Elisabet sighed, finally drawing the younger redhead’s attention to her.  


“Aloy, you’re not still—?”  


“No, I’m not—not worried,” she interrupted. “Just… you… did… right?”  


“Did what?”  


“Have… feelings… for her?”  


Elisabet continued to stare straight ahead toward the party ahead of them, her jaw set, for several moments before her posture finally cracked, deflating slightly as she seemed to lean against the railing slightly more.  


“Yeah, I… pretty sure I did.”  


“Pretty sure?”  


“I did.”  


Silence fell over them for several long moments before Aloy cleared her throat, finally drawing the older redhead’s attention.  


“I’m sorry.”  


Elisabet scoffed, adjusting her position against the railing slightly.  


“For what?”  


“For… I don’t know, I feel bad,” Aloy replied, shrugging.  


“There’s nothing to feel bad for, kiddo—”  


“But, you’re along—in my head or—whatever,” the younger redhead interrupted, her tone starting to slur slightly as she tapped one temple with her free hand, “and so you still see her, and… well, with us…”  


“It’s fine, Aloy,” Elisabet insisted, shaking her head. “Don’t feel bad for how you feel about Talanah.”  


“O-okay, but… I’m going to keep feeling bad… now that it’s… in my head…”  


The older redhead laughed, shaking her head as she pushed away from the railing, stepping closer to Aloy and placing both hands on her shoulders.  


“I’m telling you not to.”  


“And since when has that worked?”  


“I was hoping it would start now.”  


The younger redhead sighed heavily, twirling the goblet in her hand, once again, at her side.  


“Maybe…”  


“What?”  


“You know what happened… before?”  


Confusion creased Elisabet’s face.  


“What do you mean?”  


“With… me and you… and you…”  


Recognition suddenly seemed to cross the older redhead’s face as she began to shake her head.  


“No, Aloy, we—that—”  


“Maybe not exactly like that, but…”  


“Aloy, I don’t even know if we can—”  


“You said it yourself, jus’ a few minutes ago!” the younger redhead interrupted. “Thinner walls and… whatever.”  


“Aloy, this is not a route we want to go,” Elisabet said, shaking her head. “I think the drinks are catching up to you.”  


“But tha’s my point!” she snapped. “Fine, if not like—that—maybe… it’s sorta like… tell me what to do.”  


“What?”  


“Yeah,” Aloy nodded. “Think of it like… like guiding a Strider.”  


“You’re not a Strider.”  


“No, but… I’m trying to help!”  


“And I said you didn’t need to do anything.”  


“What if I want to?”  


Elisabet opened her mouth as if to respond for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh, shaking her head as she let her hands fall from the younger girl’s shoulders.  


“You’re not going to take no for an answer…”  


“You know it.”  


Just then, the sound of her name being called loudly from before her prompted the younger redhead to blink, the image of Elisabet disappearing to instead reveal a grinning, raven-haired figure approaching, waving dramatically.  


“Can you see me?” Talanah joked.  


A moment passed before I shook my head, rubbing at my eyes with one hand.  


“Yeah, sorry.”  


“How many of those have you had?” the Carja quipped, gesturing to my right hand.  


I glanced down at the empty goblet in it before shrugging, turning back to Talanah with a smirk.  


“A few.”  


“Getting started without me?”  


The Carja came to a stop before me, bracing her hands on her hips.  


“I thought that was my thing.”  


I laughed as Talanah suddenly leaned forward, placing a kiss against my lips that they eagerly accepted. After only a moment or two, however, she began to pull back, placing two fingers on my chest to hold me in place as I tried to follow.  


“Well, I talked to everyone I need to for tonight,” she said, a devilish grin pulling at her lips. “How about that night out I promised?”  


A smirk pulled at my lips as I nodded.  


“Sounds amazing.”  


With that, Talanah quickly grabbed my hand, dragging me back toward the crowded hall, once again. As we slipped through one of the open archways, I inconspicuously ditched my goblet on a nearby table, only to note Talanah swiping one of her own from a serving table. I raised my eyebrows at her as she quickly downed its contents, sighing before also ditching it on a table nearby.  


“You got ahead of me,” she shot back, noticing my look. “You only have yourself to blame.”  


“I’m not taking blame if something bad happens,” I shot back.  


“Like what?”  


“Do you really need to ask that question?”  


The Carja’s cheeks began to turn a bright red as she refused to answer, instead tugging me quicker through the crowd. We managed to escape the throngs of people inside the crowded hall, but not before Talanah had somehow managed to swipe two more goblets of her own, the last one accidentally spilling as someone bumped her elbow and sending it all over the lower half of her face and onto her silk top.  


“Dammit,” she muttered, releasing my hand to wipe at the red liquid before glancing down at her clothing and sighing. “That’s not going to come out, is it?”  


“I told you,” I replied in a sing-song tone, prompting her to roll her eyes.  


“Should I change before we continue our night?” she asked, ditching the now-empty goblet on yet another unsuspecting table before leading the way toward the exit, once again.  


“I mean… you might want to take it off,” I shot back, a smirk pulling at my lips.  


“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she shot back, raising her eyebrows playfully as she leaned in toward me and I shrugged nonchalantly. “Don’t lie.”  


“Well, don’t tease.”  


Her eyebrows shot up in what appeared to be actual surprise as I laughed, pushing her toward the doorway we had stopped before, prompting her to stagger into the stairwell beyond with a fit of laughter. We quickly descended to the main level of the Palace before exiting onto the bridge, making our way across the bridge while Talanah tried to determine how drunk she actually was compared to me, while I tried not to let on how much walking felt like gliding across the ground.  


Within a few minutes, we had ended up back at her apartment, where she quickly dragged me into her bedroom, throwing open the bureau in the corner and digging amongst it, pulling out a piece of clothing before shaking her head and shoving it back inside. With a sigh, I folded my arms over my chest, tapping my foot as I shot her a smirk.  


“Is this going to take the whole time or…?”  


“I’m indecisive, Aloy!”  


A shiver ran down my spine as I found myself glad she wasn’t looking, so I quickly let out a heavy sigh, stepping forward and pushing her aside, reaching in amongst the seeming rainbow of colored clothing before dragging something out, spinning around to push it into Talanah’s chest.  


“Here, I decided for you.”  


The Carja glanced down at the top, raising her eyebrows slightly as she glanced back up at me.  


“So you did.”  


With a laugh, she carefully removed her headdress, letting her inky mane of hair fall free with it before glancing over at me.  


“Do you want to help, or…?” she trailed off, winking.  


With a roll of my eyes, I stepped forward, quickly pulling the current top from where it was secured beneath her belt and yanking it over her head to a surprised yelp. A moment later, I tossed it onto her bed, smirking as Talanah shook her head, running her hands through her hair as I found my eyes wandering of their own accord.  


“Of course.”  


“You’re the one who started it.”  


Talanah laughed, but quickly stopped as I stepped forward, pressing her laughter back into her mouth with a firm kiss. A moment later, when I pulled away, she wrapped her arms around my back, holding me in place.  


“Sure we can’t just… stay here and…?”  


“You promised me a night out,” I shot back, raising my eyebrows. “Was that just a tease, too?”  


Talanah sighed, shaking her head as I smirked.  


“The night is young, little Thrush.”  


Immediately, her head whipped up toward me, her eyes narrowing.  


“Keep that up and I’ll just call the night right here.”  


Before she could try to add another quip, I blocked her with another kiss, prompting her to freeze in place for a moment before quickly relaxing. My hands slid behind her lower back, a shiver running down my own at the feeling of her warm skin beneath my fingers. A moment later, we broke apart, but remained inches away. We both remained silent for several moments before Talanah let out a heavy sigh, her breath hot across my face.  


“You promise more of that, or…?”  


“If you _earn_ more of that,” I shot back, “you mean?”  


The Carja woman met my gaze for a moment before nodding.  


“Deal.”  


With that, I pat her back, smirking.  


“Now get dressed. The rest of the public may not be quite as… appreciative.”  


“Really?”  


I rolled my eyes, pulling away as she grinned, finally releasing me from her grasp. A few moments later, she had pulled the top over her head, the deep blue contrasting the bright reds and yellows of the rest of her outfit. It also didn’t hurt that the neckline plunged quite severely. As Talanah finished securing in place, she glanced down before letting out a short, dry laugh and glancing up at me.  


“Now I see your true motives.”  


“To make you look good?” I shot back.  


Talanah grinned and began to set about tying her hair back into her customary tight ponytail before I quickly grabbed her wrist.  


“What?”  


“Maybe… don’t…”  


She glanced back at me for a moment before grinning and nodding.  


“Okay.”  


As a compromise, however, she pulled the strands closest to her face back over the top of the rest, tying into place so that it stopped trying to curl in front of her. Finally, she let out a sigh, turning back to me.  


“Ready?”  


“Just been waiting on you.”  


With a roll of her eyes, she spun me around and pushed me toward the exit, while I laughed and obliged, skipping toward her front door before throwing it open and gesturing for her to exit first. Moments later, we had exited onto the streets of Meridian, once again, Talanah quickly tugging me to the right by the sleeve of my top, only to grab my hand a moment later, taking it securely and leading the way through the crowds, weaving between the sea of people as I found myself nearly jogging to keep up.  


Long after I had lost track of where we were going, Talanah brought me to a halt before a seemingly innocuous door, winking as she knocked on it loudly. I gave her a curious look before the door suddenly popped open, a pair of eyes glancing out it before swinging wider.  


“Well, our favorite patron,” a man with dark hair tied into a bun atop his head said, smirking.  


“Okay, okay, keep it down,” Talanah muttered, glancing toward me as her cheeks grew red, once again.  


“Oh, my apologies, miss,” the man said, glancing toward me. “I mean, our _new_ favorite patron.”  


I rolled my eyes as the man in the doorway laughed.  


“Got any room?” Talanah sighed, turning back to him.  


“We can make it work,” he replied. “Hop in.”  


With that, Talanah pulled me into the doorway, the room beyond immediately somehow even darker than the streets outside. As I blinked, the room began to focus, once again, revealing crowds of people littered about the low-lit room, although no matter how many times I blinked, their images still seemed hazy, and my eyes began to water slightly.  


“You’ll get used to it,” Talanah laughed. “Follow me.”  


A moment later, I was tugged forward into the haze, following the vague shape that I knew to be Talanah until we came to a short stop against a wooden bar, the dark-haired Carja leaning over it as the barmaid grinned and moved toward us.  


“So, is this the famous—?”  


“This,” Talanah interrupted quickly, clearing her throat nervously, “is Aloy.”  


The barmaid exchanged glances with the raven-haired Carja before smirking and turning to me.  


“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you Aloy,” she said. “What’s your poison?”  


“Whiskey.”  


Both women glanced back at me with expressions somewhere between surprised and confused before I cleared my throat.  


“U-uh I mean… got anything like a… dark liquor?”  


The barmaid nodded and moved to grab a dark red bottle from the shelf behind her as Talanah continued to stare back at me, prompting me to glance down at the bar as my face grew hot. A moment later, the barmaid returned with a glass of some form of dark liquid in a glass, handing it to me.  


“Usual?” she said, glancing toward Talanah.  


As she nodded, I quickly downed my glass, pouring and swallowing it in one go, feeling the liquid burn in my throat as I noted that it had an almost candy-like flavor to it. With a sigh, I placed the empty glass on the bar, glancing over toward Talanah to find her with an incredulous look on her face.  


“What?”  


She remained silent as she took her glass from the barmaid, lifting it wordlessly to her lips and knocking it back, as well, as the other woman seemed to notice my empty glass.  


“I take it you like it?”  


“It works.”  


“Want to try another?”  


“Got another suggestion?”  


The barmaid considered me for a moment before smirking and taking my glass. A moment later, she had rinsed it with water from a glass at the end of the bar before reaching for another bottle on the shelf behind her, pouring a different, darker liquor in it. As I went to take it from her, she pulled it back, raising her eyebrows.  


“Sure you’re ready?”  


“Should I not be?”  


The barmaid smirked before sliding the glass to me. Both her and Talanah watched as I sniffed the top, a curious expression taking hold of my face before I took a tentative sip of it. The liquid burned even more than the last, but it had an intense, earthy flavor that immediately made my eyebrows raise.  


“This is good.”  


Talanah raised her eyebrows, holding her hand out as I passed it to her. As she took a sip, she quickly coughed, placing the glass back on the bar as she shook her head.  


“You like that?!”  


The smirk returned to my face as I nodded.  


“Well, it’s all yours.”  


“On your tab, right?”  


Talanah scoffed as the barmaid laughed loudly.  


“I like her,” she quipped, winking toward Talanah before pouring her another glass of her drink. “Consider the first two of hers on me.”  


Talanah muttered a thanks as she slid some shards across the bar to her, downing her glass as I finished mine, as well.  


“So, you brought me to a… dark, seedy bar,” I replied, glancing around.  


“It’s good if you give it a chance.”  


“I wasn’t complaining.”  


Talanah glanced over at me before shaking her head, sighing as I laughed. A moment later, she had pulled me toward the left side of the room, where a group of musicians were playing to a dense crowd of bodies. Although the hair on the back of my neck stood on end at how close everyone was, Talanah seemed unfazed as she dragged me into them, quickly wrapping her arms around my neck as she attempted to at least get me to sway to the music.  


“I’m not much of a dancer,” I said, leaning in toward her ear.  


“Don’t have to be.”  


Over the next few minutes, she proceeded to try to prove her point, pressing herself against me tightly enough that her own motions forced me to move in synch with her. The entire time, however, I could only focus on the pounding in my ears, as it was somewhat more of a distraction from the feeling that had started in my chest and quickly spread throughout my body. It was… warm and comfortable and… familiar.  


Images of similarly dark rooms with flashing lights and bodies too close flashed before me, but I quickly found them pushed aside as I focused on the image of the raven-haired woman before me. Almost instinctually, I found one hand sliding up the back of her neck into her hair, my fingers threading through the dark locks as I pressed forward, the lips before mine quickly accepting the gesture. I quickly lost track of time as the music and the motion overtook the darkness that surrounded us; despite how many people were pressed around us, I only found myself able to focus on the one directly before me.  


A few moments later, I suddenly realized that the haze and heat of the darkened bar had given way to the cool breeze of a desert night and the stars overhead, while the warmth that had pressed against me a moment ago was now pressed against my side as I felt something cooler and firmer pressed into my stomach.  


I glanced down to find that a stone railing now stood as the only thing between myself and a long drop off the mesa, prompting me to swallow nervously and try to back away, only for the warmth at my side to hold me in place.  


“It’s okay.”  


I glanced over to find Talanah beside me, grinning as she stared back at me.  


“I’ve got you.”  


I attempted to smile, but it felt incredibly forced, which seemingly prompted Talanah to lean in, placing yet another kiss against my lips. A few moments later, she pulled back, prompting me to sigh.  


“Feel better?”  


“Maybe.”  


I felt myself burrowing closer to her side as the raven-haired woman’s grip around me tightened, a warm feeling spreading across my chest, once again.  


“So… how’s your big night out been?”  


“Perfectly pleasant,” I muttered, grinning.  


“You put those drinks back like a champion.”  


“So did you.”  


Talanah laughed, the vibrations in her chest echoing into my own as a grin tugged at my lips.  


“We both knew that, though.”  


“Did we?”  


“What are you trying to say, miss?”  


A smirk tugged at my lips as I shrugged.  


“I’ve held your hair back enough to know.”  


Talanah scoffed, trying to push me away from her, but I held fast, wrapping an arm around her to hold myself in place. Finally, she gave up, laughing as her arm returned around me, followed soon after by the feeling of her head leaning atop mine as we both seemed to settle, staring out at the inky darkness that clung to the farmlands and the desert below. Finally, I let out a heavy sigh, a strange, fluttering feeling appearing in my chest, once again.  


“You ever think about… how strange it is… we met in a hospital?”  


“The infirmary?”  


“You know what I meant.”  


Talanah laughed softly.  


“Sometimes.”  


A grin tugged at my lips as I shifted my grip slightly around the warm body beside mine.  


“I don’t think I expected to be here, then.”  


“Like… right here?”  


I laughed, shaking my head.  


“Sure, but—”  


“I know, I was kidding.”  


After a few moments, I felt something press against the top of my head and my smile broadened.  


“There were a few times I wondered, but… I guess I hoped I’d end up right here.”  


My other arm wrapped around Talanah as I turned my head, burying my face in her shoulder.  


“Even after w—I almost got you killed?”  


The woman before me paused for a moment before letting out a soft laugh, the vibrations now running through my skull, as well.  


“Yeah, even after that.”  


My throat tightened as I felt my eyes growing misty. In response, I lifted my head, pressing a firm kiss to the exposed skin at the nape of Talanah’s neck.  


“I’ll always be sorry for that.”  


A moment later, I felt Talanah’s other arm wrap around me, her cheek pressing to the top of my head.  


“I think you’ve more than made up for it, since.”  


“Have I?” I mumbled, keeping my eyes closed as I nuzzled my face into the warm skin left exposed by the silk top in the cool night air.  


“Yeah, I… I think so.”  


A warm smile tugged at my lips as I sighed, yet again.  


“I can be at peace with that.”  


A few silent moment’s passed before Talanah spoke, again.  


“I… I’m glad?”  


With another sigh, the world seemed to shift ever so slightly, two lifetimes worth of sadness, rage, and happiness crashing together before swirling and settling into one, heavy feeling in the redhead’s chest, the warm smile remaining, even if the blush on her cheeks was dubiously from the amount of alcohol coursing through her veins or the feeling pushing at her ribcage.  


“I want you to be… because of or despite me.”  


A moment of silence passed before Talanah laughed softly.  


“I’d say because of.”  


The redhead’s smile broadened as she attempted to bury her face farther into the warm body beside hers.  


“Okay, then.”


End file.
